Annotated Bibliography/Abstract
Mariel Emanuel
ES:410
2/9/10
ABSTRACT:
Lack of diversity in the engineering field is not only unfair; it is affecting the quality of the science/products being produced in America. For this reason exactly it is crucial to increase diversity, creativity, and “individual diversity” within engineering in order to tackle the multiplicity of issues and problems that are arising in this century. U.S. values, cultures, and interests are constantly being altered and due to this new problems are arising that must be addressed by STEM researchers. In order to most beneficially address the variety of new problems that are currently facing humanity; we must include an assortment of researchers with diverse backgrounds, views, and perspectives. Change is inevitable; however, whether we confront it justly or not is up to us.
1. Nelson, Donna J. "A National Analysis of Minorities in Science and Engineering Faculties at Research Universities." 31 Oct. 2007. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.
-This is a very important and detailed article. It takes a very in depth look at the lack of diversity in STEM fields and how this is exhibited through the tenure track and positions of professors at research universities. Not surprisingly what the report found is that the higher you get up the tenure track the less women and people of color you will find. The author is calling for a “Great Crew Change” because as a society we are facing more and more new problems and in turn we need new diverse/creative engineers/scientists in order address the plethora of new issues. The author explains that U.S. values, cultures and interests are changing and so our STEM researchers must be representative of this. I think that this is a very helpful article because it is a very recent and critical account on the lack of diversity in the field.
2. Busch-Vishniac, Illene J. "CAN DIVERSITY IN THE UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING POPULATION BE ENHANCED THROUGH CURRICULAR CHANGE?" Begell House Inc. 2004. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
-I specifically like this article because it focuses directly on how changing curriculum for undergraduate engineering would help increase diversity. The article actually calls for a whole new curriculum that is directed towards inclusion and working together rather than exclusion. The author explains why we need diversity in a variety of ways and actually discusses why we need diversity in STEM fields in terms of economics and business. I specifically like this article because it is radical in the sense that it calls for a whole new curriculum, and does not want to try and work under the current patriarchal paradigm at all.
3. Foor, Cynthia E. "" I Wish That I Belonged More in This Whole Engineering Group:" Achieving Individual Diversity." Apr. 2007. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.
-This article focuses specifically on one woman/racial minority engineering student and her personal account with trying to achieve her “individual identity” in engineering. The author discusses how engineers need to utilize their “individual identity” in their work instead of assimilating with the others in the engineering “group”. The idea of “Critical Cultural Theory” is discussed and how this particularly theory effects Inez (the woman engineer). I think that this article will be particularly useful for me because it based upon interviews with one woman and I want to conduct interviews as well. This has helped me generate ideas about things I want to try and explore with the individuals during interviews.
4. Wulf, WM A. "NAE Website - Diversity in Engineering." NAE Website - Home. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.
-This article is very important because it comes from the National Academy of Engineering and it focuses on some of the crucial reasons why we need diversity in engineering—other than to be fair. The author discusses how engineering is actually a very creative profession…however, this aspect of the career has been sort of neglected at the societal and individual level. The author explains that “breadth of experience in an individual is essential to creativity and hence to good engineering”. This point is crucial because breadth of experience can only be incorporated when we have engineers that come from different places and different life experiences. “We and our output are both impoverished without that diversity” (WM Wulf).
5. Anderson, Lisa. "CiteSeerX — Recruitment And Retention Programmes To Increase Diversity In Engineering." CiteSeerX. 21 Aug. 2002. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.
- This article focuses solely on the lack of women in engineering and attempts at recruiting women to join the field. The study started in 1989 when Ryerson University wanted to try and find ways to encourage women to become engineers. The university started a program called “Discover Engineering” which conducted primary high school workshops and summer camps centered on teaching women about engineering. The workshops and summer camp proved to be successful. I am particularly interested in this article because it shows fun and innovative ways to teach women about engineering. This type of recruitment and education about engineering is crucial because it is fostering creativity and in turn hopefully making diverse, creative individuals more interested in the subject.
I think your abstract was well phrased, but I had difficulty what you were intending to focus on directly. I understand the commentary on the need to diversify our workforce and production line of goods, but I think it would be helpful to understand in this first paragraph what you plan to do within the rest of your paper specifically. I understand the general direction, but are you analyzing a certain type of product that is advertised to a certain class/race/gender? Or a product and its effect on society as a whole? Giving more insight to this product at the beginning would allow the reader to better prepare their mindset for the rest of the paper. You have a great writing style; I just think that this first paragraph could be improved with a little more refined detail about your goals. Also, adding a little on how you are going to prove this thesis would be helpful in giving some more refined ideas and points within this first preview. But good start overall!
ReplyDeleteMariel, these are great sources. I recognize that you have not done the interviews you wish to do yet, but I want to encourage you (like Morgan) to get more specific in your focus and argument.
ReplyDeleteSo, question: will the primary argument of your project be about how your interviewees experience (the challenge of/opportunity of) diversity at Cal Poly? That is, will your focus be to say how or how not Cal Poly as an institution mirrors national trends? OR, do you want to use the interviews, as well as other research, to make specific recommendations for what Cal Poly can do that is not currently doing to increase the recruitment and retention of women and people of color at CP at the undergraduate, graduate, staff, or faculty levels? Or, do you want to analyze how CP "talks" about diversity vs. how it "practices" diversity? Or do you want to compare products that were designed by "diverse" vs. "non-diverse" teams?
In my honest opinion I think your abstract lacks a bit of direction. Why is the lack of diversity in the engineering fields unfair? The reason is left out and the next sentence says “for this reason” and I am a bit lost already. In the following sentence I am also a bit confused on issues and problems arising in this century as well as the new problems facing humanity. Those categories are extremely broad. The problems facing humanity could be world hunger, communism, women’s suffrage, equality, etc. Despite the constructive criticism, I think your technique of conducting an interview is absolutely fantastic. It is one thing to read articles to increase your repertoire of knowledge and another to interview someone with first hand experiences. The latter of the two would draw far more interest and would create a far bigger impact on the class. Overall, I think you might want to focus in on a smaller time period and be a bit more specific in your approach.
ReplyDeleteSome questions to consider:
What aspects of diversity are lacking the most and in what particular STEM fields?
Why is the diversity lacking and what in particular makes it unfair?
Who/What can change this?
Which country/organization is a counter example that could show it is possible to reverse this lack of diversity and creativity?